R.M. COURT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2591, 6 May 1887, Page 2

R.M. COURT.

CARTERTON—TUESDAY. (Before Messrs B. Boys, jiml R, Fairbrother, J, P,b) : ALLEGED ATTEMPTED BASE; Dan. Haggerty, junr. was -charged 1 on remand with an attempted rape'on a married woman, named -Margaret Knight, at Gladstone, on the 2 lit April, 1887. Mr Bunny appeared for the informant John Kniglit t and Mr Sandilands for the accused.-,'.'.'On tho application of the Solicitors, . the case was heard with closed doors." Considerable tirao was taken up by the Solicitors arguing as to whsther the-W husband of the principal witness ought to he allowed to remain in Court while his wife was giving evidence, He wag ultimately asked to withdraw, Mr Bunny, in opening the'-case for the prosecution, stuted that on the day mentioned, tho accused. rode .up to the door of the informant, and asked for a drink, and Mrs Knight tendered him a glass of hop beer. This che refused, and prodqeed a "Bottle of whjskey. He t|en jumped .off his horse, and forced his way into her house, and committed tho. offence of which the information was laid. Margaret Knight, wife of the informant, John Knight, doposed that on the iilst April, she was-at home alone, and about throe o'clock in the afternoon accused came to the door oa horsoback, and asked for a drink of water. There was only ono door in the house, and witness was busy bakin» bread, The two children wcro away at tho time. Sho asked , him <; to wait until she put a loaf in tho oven, and she would give him a drink..' . She took a pannikin and gave him ,hAP beer. Sho did not go door, as he was standing'' iniide thr door, having got off Lis ffe said he had a bottle in his pocket, and stepped into the house. He took up a . fork to open the bottle, when she gave him a corkscrew, He drow the cork, V poured some of the contents into a cup, drank it, and than offered her some, Slip refused, and told him he had better tako it home with him, whon hosaid some people were, ashamed to driuk before strangers, She said, "I ara ' not". He then said, •'drink,that little drop," and she drank it, andlhe then sat down on a! chair, Mrs Stoodley then passed the house, and iwitnesi called her, and said, " please, cotne in,"*' and the accused asked witness "if she" - knew that woman. She Vaid i'yes,"' 'wlp ho said, "give her a drink,'" which she ; did.; After about 15 minutes Mrs. Stoodley left, when the" acoiised wehrto the doprwith her,and gave her ajpther drink bf the whiskey He then returned into the house,, and poured outranother 'drink for witness but she only pr'etende'dto It, and - put it on tho cupboafd, ,-. After awhile, as sho was standing with her.

back to tlio table, tlio accused tool; liold of her. (The witness hem des cribed tlio nature of the offence, which is unfit for publication,) Complainant admitted tlmt sho had been ii i the habit of taking too much drink that there had been a prohibition ord >r out against her for two years, and tlij it she bad been sent to gaol for ut mon th for gross disorderly conducts. ; ; ■ ■ • Henry Clay, |i. lnboierj. i]wl; John • . Knight, husbanjd of complainant, gave . . e?ideh?e:as to; finding ;b'pth-;aj:ciwd . .. -and the complainant rolling nbojat tlits . -floor of the as though theft were; s. 'both intoxicated. The accnsedmving . been duly cautioned pleaded not jjuilty,. ~ and was fully committed for trial, bail' vV. being allowed in two sureties o| LIOO each and himself in LI 00. 3